Visa-free policy a testament to a welcoming China

Editor's note: Song Wei, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Liang Zhihan is a student at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, BFSU. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On March 14, China adopted a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. This is China's latest move to ease entry for international travelers since December 2023 when China introduced an optimized visa policy, which simplified visa procedures and reduced costs for foreigners.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in January when he met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, China hopes that Belgium would help foster China-EU cooperation while the two sides embark on "a new beginning" in relations. With "dual circulation" development considerations, the visa-free policy for the six countries will strongly promote the recovery of China's tourism market and further deepen foreign trade and investment.

The visa-free policy will drive the development of China's inbound tourism market in a couple of ways. Firstly, as the most important mode of passenger transport between China and Europe, the rapid recovery of flight capacity is the basis for the recovery of inbound tourism.

There is an obvious increase of flight capacity between the six visa-free countries and China. According to the latest data from Chinese travel agency company Ctrip, compared to pre-COVID flight capacities in 2019, Switzerland, Austria and Luxembourg have recovered to 60 percent; Belgium has recovered close to 90 percent; and Hungary has more than doubled its capacity.

Besides, the visa-free European tourists have high average incomes and strong consumption power. According to the 2023 data released by the International Monetary Fund, Luxembourg and Ireland have per capita GDP of more than $100,000. These two countries serve as important financial service centers in Europe and the headquarters of many multinational companies, earning them the top two ranks in GDP per capita.

As a very developed country, Switzerland ranks fourth both in the world and in Europe in GDP per capita. Austria and Hungary have an upper middle ranking in GDP per capita as well. What's more, the people in the above six countries have large and stable demand for travelling to China with the high recognition for China's tourism resources.

Therefore, the visa-free policy for the six European countries will not only be conducive to attracting more European tourists to visit, but will also help the entire hospitality industry by driving consumption in traditional crafts and cultural creative products.

From the long-term perspective of deepening economic and trade cooperation, the introduction of the visa-free policy for six European countries will further upgrade the China-EU partnership. As China optimizes its visa policy, its trade and investment with other countries has become increasingly frequent and fruitful. For example, in December 2023, just before China and Singapore launched their mutual visa exemption policy, the two nations also signed the Free Trade Agreement Further Upgrade Protocol to promote practical cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy and the green economy.

It's worth noting that five of the six new visa-free countries are in the European Union. As the world's largest regional trading bloc with the broadest network of free trade agreements, the EU is an important force in promoting global investment, fair competition, and free trade. At the same time, the EU is one of China's most important trading partners and has in-depth cooperation with China in sectors of finance, technology and culture.

The visa-free policy will not only be an important way for China to further open up to the outside world and create development opportunities for global capital, but also a key measure to oppose "decoupling" and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe.

Promoting the role of the China-Europe Railway Express as a bridge for trade and the free flow of factors of production, the visa-free policy for the six European countries will further reduce trade barriers and costs, and facilitate the alignment of rules and project cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

All in all, the visa-free policy for the six European countries is a continuation of China's optimized visa policy, and is also a pragmatic measure for China to continue to promote high-level opening-up, the recovery of inbound tourism and China-EU trade cooperation.

In order to attract more European tourists, China will tackle various difficulties faced by foreign tourists in China and strengthen the construction of relevant facilities and institutions. Under the tide of economic globalization, China's determination to open up to the outside world will become increasingly tangible, and the land of China will become a "Promised Land" favored by global businesses and tourists.

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